Finally made it out to a West Coast Swing night. My westie friends weren't kidding when they said there are great dancers here! My toe is really angry with me for dancing on it all night, but I say it was worth it. Even if I can't walk today.
I realize that a lot of my readers aren't dancers, so I thought I'd embed a few sample clips here to give you a rough idea of the various dances I've been talking about.
West Coast Swing
Parker Dearborn and Melissa Rutz dancing in a jack & jill competition (random partners, improvised dancing). Melissa Rutz is pretty much my favourite West Coast Swing follow ever. I love her style and energy. Watch to the end if you can.
Blues
A bunch of cool people performing a sweet team routine at BluesSHOUT! 2009. I'm happy to say I was there to see this live.
Linked rather than embedded because it was captured in widescreen and was messing with my layout
Lindy Hop
Todd & Kelly facing off against Skye & Frida in the mid-tempo competition (also improvised, to live music) at the 2008 Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown. Not a super great quality video, but I think it captures the dance really well.
And just for good measure, because it's really fun to watch, here's some capoeira. I don't know the people involved, I just want to be them when I grow up.
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dancing like that in Britain? you wish....lol
ReplyDeleteI didn't mean to post these clips as an example of what it's like to dance in Britain, just to show my non-dancing readers what these dance styles I keep talking about look like. That being said, the average level of the west coast swing dancers here (at least at the one night I attended) is really quite high. Maybe not Parker & Melissa high, but at least to the level where I could really enjoy watching and dancing with pretty much everyone in the room, and feel like I have some work to do to catch up with most of them. Which is great. It's been a while since I've felt challenged in that way, and I need it.
ReplyDeleteAnd there are some really good lindy hoppers here too. They're just not as concentrated.
it read like I dance in Britain check out these American events and dancers, and being from Tatiana and Parkers Neighborhood was strange to understand, especially because i've taught and danced in London for over 10 years.
ReplyDeleteI will say..there are a few of my favorite dancers to watch in London, amazing Talent.
No, no, no. That's not how I meant it at all. Besides, I've danced more in the US (by a long shot) than I have in Britain.
ReplyDeleteThe intent was more... I'm talking a lot about these dances that you may not know anything about. Here are some clips I really like and that I feel are representative.
I wish I'd had a camera with me last night so I could have videoed actual London dancers, but no such luck.
Make sure you let me know next time you're in town, though.
those are AWESOME, i can't believe that first video is improvised! i really want to see you dance Bryn! but only if i won't have to, hahaha
ReplyDeleteThere are a few videos of me dancing on Facebook, but they're not that great. You should really come out with me some time. You don't *have* to dance... but you should ;)
ReplyDelete